School News (99)

Pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe were delighted to attend a recent Us Girls event at Royal Oak and Baguley boxing gym with Olympic gold medallist and Us Girls president, Nicola Adams. At the event Nicola donated the £3,000 which she had won on Family Fortunes to the sports initiative.

Nicola wasn’t the only top class athlete to attend the event, England and Everton player Amy Kane was also there having a kick around with the girls.

The event, which included a number of sporting activities aimed at encouraging young women aged 14 to 25 to get active and have some fun.

Us Girls is a Sport England-funded initiative that aims to get 30,000 young women living in disadvantaged areas more active, by providing them with opportunities to play sport within their local communities.

Us Girls is being delivered by the Active Women Consortium, a body led by StreetGames. Us Girls is receiving £2.3 million of National Lottery investment from Sport England as part of its ‘Active Women’ campaign to tackle the gender gap in sport.

“I’m looking forward to my role in helping Us Girls encourage more young women to enjoy sport and ensure Britain’s Olympic legacy continues,” Nicola Adams commented. “It was great to meet some of the Us Girls participants, answer their questions and tell them that sport can change their lives for the better.”

“We are delighted to be involved in this monumental project which aims to deliver a far reaching legacy for women's sport well beyond the London 2012 Olympic Games,” explained Ms Laura Wild, Head of PE at Saint Paul’s. “We introduced the Us Girls project at school in January and it is becoming more and more successful especially with the self defence and boxing skills activities. It was great for our pupils to have had the opportunity to meet Nicola Adams; a fantastic female athlete who was able to encourage the girls so they could see that taking part is really valuable. She is a great character and really engaged the participants, motivating them to do more and do better.”

Ms Wild added: “At Saint Paul’s, we have listened to our pupils about what type of sports interest them and as a results of introduced activities such as Zumba, roller skating, boxercise and aerobics. We have found that this has inspired female students to take part in more sport and physical activity.”

“We are pleased to be involved with this pioneering new national scheme which has been designed to improve the well-being of young women,” commented Head Teacher, Mr Wiktor Daron. “A key part of the programme will be to develop the girls’ confidence and self esteem as well as their sporting skills. I’m sure that Nicola Adams will have a massive impact on the charity and help engage with many more young women. We really need to show that sport is a fun thing for girls to do.”

Saint Paul’s have a successful Us Girls project which includes boxing, self-defence and Zumba. This takes place on Fridays at 5.30pm at the school. There is no cost involved for those who would like to participate. For further information please contact Saint Paul’s on 0161 437 5841.

The Time 2 Change Project has been celebrated in The Romero Centre with 10 local primary schools sending their winning teams to compete in a 'final showdown' during Fairtrade Fortnight.

The challenge set was to design a mode of transport for a named foreign country that was fit for purpose in being able to transport Fairtrade products, taking into account terrain, climate etc. Teams had to purchase resources and materials using the appropriate foreign language and also redesign the country's flag to incorporate a fairtrade theme.

There was a requirement that the newly designed flag should appear somewhere on the mode of transport. With each team working on a different country, pupils came up with a fantastic range of ideas for how Fairtrade products could be transported including sledge-like transport and balloon powered vehicles. Judges Pete Pealing of Peaks and Plains Housing Trust and Tom Agar of MS Events Ltd had a difficult job choosing a winner as the standard was so high across all the schools that took part. In the end, after careful examination of all the vehicles, presentations from each team and some tough questioning,

The 'Overall Winner Award' for 2013 went to St. Gregory's, with Gawsworth coming in as 'Runners Up' and The 'Best Team Log Award' went to St. Alban's.

As an added bonus, the competition, which started back in September 2012, raised over £2,000 for more than 15 different charities. Year 12 BTEC Business students who judged the first round of the competition out in primary schools acted as event organisers for the Final Celebration Day. They did a fantastic job throughout the planning stages and on the day itself, gaining excellent feedback from the competitors and visitors who watched the presentations.

The whole project has demonstrated how well enterprise activities work when Sixth Form Business students combine their talents with the talents of young entrepreneurs still in primary school.

Pupils at Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe took part in the biggest celebration of books and reading in the world when they recently participated in World Book Day.

With the aim of inspiring and developing their pupils’ interest in reading, the school organised a full week of reading related activities including a book swop where each pupil that brought in a children’s book was given a token so that they could “buy” a book from the Swap Book Stall; a ‘Get Caught Reading day’ where pupils who were spotted reading at break or lunch-time got a prize; a book quiz; a ‘Where's Wally’ search where pupils had to follow clues and answer the questions using the information in the book; and a book puzzle.

World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. A main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading.

“World Book Day is the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK and the pupils enjoy participating in the event,” explained Ms Irena Savova, the school librarian. “The pupils become engrossed in the various competitions and activities and we know from past experience that the events will encourage them to further develop their love of reading.”

“Reading is vital to young people’s development,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “It should be viewed as a real pleasure and we see World Book Day as a great way for us to encourage our pupils to read and enjoy more books.”

A student from Austin Friars St Monica’s School has beaten 6000 people to a higher apprenticeship offer with Rolls Royce.

Will Ritchie (aged 18) has been offered a conditional place on the Rolls Royce higher apprenticeship scheme, starting in September. Rolls Royce, one of the world’s leading providers of high-performance power systems will take on 10 apprentices in September, out of 6000 people that applied. From the 6000, 40 people were invited to interview, of which 10 were successful.

He will study at Nottingham University for 3 years where he will gain a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, as well as practical learning with world class engineers at the Rolls Royce site in Derby.

Of his achievement Will said; “I am looking forward to starting. The degree covers various business areas such as civil engineering, defence services, naval marine and manufacturing. I am mostly looking forward to learning the trade whilst working on the famous Boeing 747 engines.”

The higher apprenticeship will see Will learn on the job whilst getting paid for his work, as well as studying for his demanding university course.

Mr Stuart Parry, head of Sixth Form is delighted for Will; he said “Part of Will’s success can be attributed to his all-round education through extra-curricular activities. Will is the 1st XV Rugby Captain and his leadership potential has clearly been recognised.”

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For more details please contact:

Andrew Hullock

Marketing Administrator

Tel: 01228 550719 email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Notes to editor

Austin Friars St Monica’s School is the independent day school for girls and boys aged 3-18 years in the centre of Carlisle. The School has a strong reputation in Cumbria and South West Scotland for providing an all-round, high quality education that meets the individual needs of each child.

Academic achievement and strong pastoral care are at the heart of what we do. Focusing on a traditional form of education, every pupil at Austin Friars St Monica’s is also encouraged to take part fully in the all-round life of the School with an extensive range of extra curricular activities available.

If you want further information on what we provide, please go to our website at www.austinfriars.cumbria.sch.uk

A group of Year 11 pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe, who are interested in pursuing a career in the dynamic and innovative engineering industry, recently visited the Engineering training company, SETA Engineering, in Stockport. They were given a tour of the facilities, practical demonstrations and had the opportunity to speak to some of the engineering employers.

SETA is one of the leading engineering training companies; they want to inspire the next generation to enjoy engineering and develop a passion for the industry. SETA aims to secure and promote engineering for the future in Manchester and give young people the choice to consider engineering as an option for a career Mr Alan Chapman of Saint Paul’s explained: “The visit was a development around our working relationship with SETA. Our pupils’ perceptions about the world of work and the engineering environment are varied and this visit has allowed them to develop a clear understanding of the possible roles which they could fill in an engineering organisation.”

Mr Chapman added: “Engineering is a rewarding career choice for young people who have a good level of education; at Saint Paul’s one of our aims is to create the engineers of the future. Job prospects in engineering are great. Between 2010 and 2020, engineering companies are projected to have 2.74 million job openings across a wide range of engineering fields.”

“The engineering industry is in the position to be able to offer exciting careers to young people,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “At Saint Paul’s we take pride in helping to inspire the budding engineers of the future and events such as this allow the pupils to make a more informed choice about what career route is best for them.”

A student at Austin Friars St Monica’s School, in Carlise, has been cast in one of the National Youth Music Theatre’s West End Productions.

Sarah Hughes (aged 15) has been awarded a coveted place in the National Youth Music Theatre’s production of ‘The Other School’. Out of the 3 thousand people who auditioned from across the country, she was part of a group of 300 to be called back to audition again in February. Only 20 people successfully landed a role in this summer’s musical, and Sarah was one of the talented few.

The week-long rehearsals will start on 1st April and Sarah will be required to live in London for 3 weeks prior to the live shows which are between 14th and 17th August. A very busy 4 days in the West End will see Sarah performing the musical in both afternoon and evening shows.

She said “I will try my best to impress on such a big stage, as I would love to make a career in performing arts”.

Sarah has had singing lessons since the age of 4, when she joined Austin Friars St Monica’s Junior School. She then continued these lessons during her time in the Senior School. She currently fits singing, piano, flute and drum lessons into her School day. Her enthusiasm and talent towards performing landed her with 2 roles in the School’s performance of Grease last year as she stepped in at the last minute to take on the role of Marty, as well as her own role of Cha Cha Digregorio when a fellow student fell ill.

Mr Malcolm Judge, Head of Drama at the School is delighted for Sarah, he said “Sarah is one of the most versatile and determined young actors I have had the pleasure to teach.”

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For more details please contact:

Andrew Hullock

Marketing Administrator

Tel: 01228 550 719 email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Notes to editor

Austin Friars St Monica’s School is the independent day school for girls and boys aged 3-18 years in the centre of Carlisle. The School has a strong reputation in Cumbria and South West Scotland for providing an all-round, high quality education that meets the individual needs of each child.

Academic achievement and strong pastoral care are at the heart of what we do. Focusing on a traditional form of education, every pupil at Austin Friars St Monica’s is also encouraged to take part fully in the all-round life of the School with an extensive range of extra curricular activities available.

Once again, public examination results have been exceptionally good this summer. At A level, 61% of grades were either an A or B grade with the overall pass rate once more 100%. At GCSE, a stunning 50.8% of overall grades were either A* or A with more than a third of students recording an outstanding 8 or more top A* or A grades. A School record-breaking 97% of students achieved 5 or more A* - C grades.

If you want further information on what we provide, please go to our website at www.austinfriars.cumbria.sch.uk

Pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe have been working hard to raise money for St Ann’s Hospice, one of the UK’s largest adult hospices which is based close to the school in Heald Green.

Fundraising, which involves the pupils working together to make a positive difference, is a well-established feature of life at the school. One group of pupils have been selling teddies in the school at form time and at the school’s Christmas Fayre and have raised almost £400.

St Ann’s Hospice helps those people who have progressive and life-threatening illnesses – as well as supporting their carers and families. The Hospice helps around 3000 people, every year, across Greater Manchester.

“St Ann’s provide their care free of charge,” explained Ms Anita Keegan, the teacher at Saint Paul’s who has been supporting the pupils in these fund raising activities. “The NHS pays just one third of the funding necessary to keep the hospice open and effective, the hospice depends upon the generosity of the public for the remaining funds. We felt that, as the hospice is situated locally and impacts on our community, we should support our pupils in their fund raising initiatives.”

Miss Keegan added: ““Working with others toward a common goal is an important part of school fundraising. Our hope is that, through their exposure to a range of activities and causes, our pupils will develop a sense of the type and scale of need that exists in modern life.”

“Pupils are encouraged to consider their place in the wider community, develop a strong sense of social responsibility and support those less fortunate than themselves.” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “We see charity fundraising events as a key part of the school’s ethos It makes me very proud to see the enterprise and enthusiasm displayed by our students as they seek to raise funds in support of people less fortunate than themselves.”

The student-led Management Team of Go Shop at All Hallows literally 'rose' to the challenge of addressing the Valentine Market by selling beautifully hand-wrapped single red 'roses' on 14 February 2013.

The Pod was decorated with giant red hearts to attract the attention of students and teachers and quickly became a 'hive' of activity as the 'roses' went on sale. Half the roses sold out immediately, with the other half selling easily throughout lunch time.

The Management Team are Year 13 Level 3 BTEC Business students who are studying units in Business Planning and Developing Teams in Business. They have risen to many challenges so far this year and all their efforts not only benefit students in college, but also provide evidence for their coursework. At the same time, alongside the sale of 'roses', GO-BITE, a team of Year 8 BITE students who have set up a Young Co-operative with their teacher Mr Blades sold a batch of strawberry lip balm, on a 'valentine' theme, which was hand-made using wax from The All Hallows College's bees.

Another Year 8 Young Co-operative sold cakes decorated with hearts. All these enterprise activities support fundraising for The India Clinic Appeal!

Pupils at Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe have been voting for their own School Parliament as part of a new school initiative to involve more of the pupils in the life and decision-making processes of the school.

All pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 were eligible to stand for election to the School Parliament. Candidates ran their own election campaign and their campaign pledges were on a display board. The rest of the year group then voted for their three favourite candidates who will duly sit on the School Parliament for that year. The three pupils from each year who received the most votes on the day were appointed MSPs, Member of School Parliament.

All the representatives ran the Election Day with the help of Manchester City Council who provided some very impressive official equipment such as booths, ballot boxes and ballot papers.

The purpose of the School Parliament is to give pupils a real voice within a manageable system and encourage students to take ownership and responsibility for their school. It will also enable staff to gain student perspective whilst at the same time raising awareness about democratic systems and rights in line with Citizenship education.

“The School Parliament represents the student voice at Saint Paul’s. We plan to meet monthly to discuss the various issues,” explained Ms Michelle Davies, Humanities teacher and organiser of the School Parliament. “The MSPs will wear a different tie to the rest of the pupils. The tie will have a gold stripe on it so pupils are aware who they are.”

Ms Davies added: “The School Parliament will be very important to the school, and as a result the parliament will be very much involved in school life.”

“The School Parliament will be an important consultative body within the school and will be taken seriously,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s.”It gives the opportunity for students to put forward recommendations to the management, staff and governors of the school.”

The Barlow RC High School in Didsbury has been named one of the top ten schools in England for its PE provision. On 14th February, the school’s Head of PE was presented with an award in recognition of the school's excellent practice and approach to physical education. Head of PE, Mrs Penny Scott received the award from Edward Timpson MP at the Department for Education’s Offices in London.

The Barlow's PE department has been awarded The Association for Physical Education's (afPE) Quality Mark; the benchmark and industry standard for high quality PE. The mark celebrates excellence in The Barlow's management and delivery of PE and sport. The Barlow was just one of ten schools across England given this independent endorsement.

Head of PE, Mrs Penny Scott said, “We are delighted with the Quality Mark award. It recognises the strength and quality of physical education and sport at The Barlow. All young people are entitled to benefit from a high quality physical education. We deliver strenuous activities that challenge our students, invest in competitive sport and provide a wide variety of extra-curricular sporting activities. Not only do PE lessons contribute to healthy and active lifestyles, there is significant evidence to show that they can help improve behaviour, develop key skills such as leadership and confidence and make a difference to the learning of children, more widely across the curriculum."

Edward Timpson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (children and families) is responsible, amongst other things, for sport in school within the Department of Education. The Quality Mark is awarded to schools following an inspection by the afPE, similar to those conducted by Ofsted. A copy of the report is sent to the Department of Education. The afPE Strategic Lead, Sue Wilkinson said, “The afPE Quality Mark Award for Physical Education and school sport is only awarded to those schools who can demonstrate a commitment to improvement and a high standard in the subject. The Barlow High School is a worthy recipient of this award and we are delighted that Edward Timpson MP was able to present Penny with the award at the ceremony.”

It has been an excellent year for The Barlow with GCSE results rising significantly for the fourth year in succession. In 2012, 95% of the pupils achieved at least 5 A*- C grades, with 74% including English and Maths. These outstanding results placed The Barlow yet again as one of the highest performing secondary schools in Manchester. In July 2012, The Barlow also received national recognition from The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) for achieving some of the fastest improving GCSE results in the country and in October, an Ofsted inspection report praised pupils, staff and governors and stated that 'under passionate, visionary leadership, the school is going from strength-to-strength.'

For more information please contact:

Kathryn Carr, Marketing Manager

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